Halle is back to give the UWS and beyond the scoop on where to get the very best hamantaschen for Purim. She’s spent the past week sampling and giving her reviews on how this season’s options stack up. Not surprisingly, her love for all things chocolate has deepened. Check out her reviews, with some help from me on the jelly options, her dad for the best savory option, and even Prince makes an appearance, but he struck out on samplings. Maybe for the next holiday!
My Most Favorite Food
247 West 72nd Street (between Broadway and West End Avenue)
These small and soft hamantaschen are great for kids, and were at the top of Halle’s list this year. They also have a peanut butter flavored hamantaschen, something we didn’t find anywhere else. These are perfect for people who love to eat more than one at time, and enjoy some traditional and new flavors.
Even during non-holiday times, My Most Favorite Food has great cookies for kids. Cut out sugar cookies decorated with brightly colored sprinkles are sure to make their day. They also have a wonderful selection of cakes, including their chocolate chip cheesecake, which I have every year on my birthday. mymostfavorite.com.
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Modern Bread and Bagel
472 Columbus Avenue (between 82nd and 83rd Streets)
Large and totally packed with flavor, Halle loved the look and feel of these. She was also very interested in the halva flavored hamantaschen, which we’ve never seen before. These have a wow factor and would be great to bring or send as a gift this year.
“The hamantaschen are all gluten free, dairy free and nut free. They contain soy. The flavors are Raspberry (homemade raspberry jam), Halva (homemade Halva date filling) and Brownie,” said Orly Gottesman, owner of Modern Bread and Bagel.
Orly also let me know that they are launching Eight Ladles Soup and Cracker Bar next week at 474 Columbus Ave, inside Thyme and Tonic. It will be quick service, gluten free, mostly vegan soups, with 5 kinds of crackers. They look forward to setting up this space for grab and go service that will change with the season! modernbreadandbagel.com.
Zabar’s
2245 Broadway (between 80th and 81st Streets)
“It’s a tradition to eat hamentashen even if you aren’t participating in any other Purim activity,” said David Zabar. And we agree. You don’t have to be Jewish or celebrate Purim to enjoy Zabar’s cookies, a true New York staple.
“We have packed individual flavors and assortments. Poppy. Apricot. Raspberry. Prune. And as a new twist, we added colored sprinkles. Shop early for the best selection,” said Zabar.
No Purim is complete without stopping in to Zabar’s for their hamantaschen! zabars.com.
photo via Zabar’s
Breads Bakery
1890 Broadway (between 62nd and 63rd Streets)
Pizza hamantaschen! For those of you craving something savory, check out Breads Bakery. These hamantaschen are pretty big and well cooked, not on the softer side, and make for a hearty snack. My husband approved!
As for the sweeter options, the chocolate hamantaschen was very good according to Halle. She even tried to share it with our dog, but he was not allowed to have any. Breads always does a great job with holiday classics. breadsbakery.com.
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By the Way Bakery
2442 Broadway (between 90th and 91st Streets)
These soft and very flavorful hamantaschen are packed super full. Halle asked me to cut it in half, which was more than enough for her. These beautifully folded and packaged treats are also good for your dairy free and gluten free friends.
I order By the Way Bakery’s brownie cookies throughout the year (highly recommend) and the brownie hamantaschen was a great twist on this classic. Perfect for any chocolate lover. btwbakery.com.
Orwasher’s
440 Amsterdam Avenue (corner of 81st Street)
“It’s really good” were the first words that came out of Halle’s mouth when she tried their chocolate hamantaschen. She easily gave this one two thumbs up. I went for the strawberry filling. Orwasher’s has the very best jelly fillings in my opinion (also for their jelly donuts). The best part is that they have many jelly filling options including strawberry, raspberry, and apricot. They are a bit smaller and softer than other options too, so you can eat more at a time! orwashers.com.
